About 3,850 games have been published for this console, with over one and a half billion copies sold.Įven after the release of PlayStation 3, the PS2 remained equally popular among gamers. The Steam Deck has so many strengths, and so few caveats, that it's a natural emulation powerhouse.Introduced in 2000, PS2 is the best-selling video game console, with more than 155 million units sold worldwide. I don't know if Valve were targeting emulation specifically, but they couldn't have done a better job if they were. It'll take just about anything in its stride and emulating my favourite games is a breeze. It's a strong value proposition and has all the convenience and the low barrier to entry of a console, but the power and customisability of a PC. The hybrid nature of the Steam Deck is what makes it so successful. I want an emulator to help me claw back some of that old-school console magic, and that's exactly what the Steam Deck does. Something always felt wrong playing SNES games at the same desk that I work at, but curled up on the couch they're an entirely different proposition. I even found time to play through a bit of Super Mario RPG in my dentist's waiting room - I never thought I'd live to see the day! Playing Pokémon Emerald while waiting for a bus, or doing a spot of farming in Harvest Moon between lectures at university felt amazing. Portable Game Boy games like Pokémon are great on Steam Deck too. Their relative simplicity makes them perfect to play in short bursts, they don't really benefit from being blown up on a 32-inch gaming monitor, and the smaller Steam Deck screen keeps those pixels compressed and those images sharp. As much as I love the PS2 and the PS3, games like Earthbound and the SquareSoft RPGs just feel so cosy on the Steam Deck. Being able to leave the house with games from that era in my backpack is something I never thought I'd be able to do.Īs a fan of retro games, Valve's handheld really shone for me when playing simple, older games on the go. It's remarkable that these games run at all, to have so many ready to play was a nice surprise. Even Shadow of the Colossus runs at well north of 45fps, and less demanding games like Ratchet: Deadlocked and Jak 2 never went below 50fps. I managed to get Demon's Souls running at a solid 30fps, and Skate 3 ran at 60fps with only a few minor dips. Games from more recent generations - Playstation 2 and 3 in particular - run surprisingly well. Related: Steam Deck Mock-Up Displays Sleek Atari 2600 Aesthetics Most of what you need is available through a pre-installed app store, and just to put the cherry on top, most emulators are automatically compatible with your gamepad. I know that particular OS frightens people more than black magic, but Valve have done a great job making it feel familiar, and you don't need to use the terminal. I was playing Dragon Quest before I knew it.ĭon't be put off by the fact that the Steam Deck runs a modified form of Linux either. It's easy to forget the Steam Deck is a fully functional PC, but it absolutely is, which made getting stalwart emulators like PCSX2 (PS2), Dolphin (GameCube), SNES9X (SNES) and the like installed totally hassle-free. If you've ever dipped your toe into the waters of emulation before, there's nothing here that's going to take you off guard. Getting emulators up and running was a very simple process. Related: Steam Deck Client Update (SteamOS) 3.3 Patch Notes That's where the Steam Deck comes in - the perfect handheld emulation station. Hooray for emulation then, where would we be without it? But what's the best way to get started? It can be a hassle to get them running on consoles, and there's a little tethering about playing them on a PC. Games like Paper Mario, Eternal Darkness, or even Silent Hill 2 are available almost exclusively through emulators for many people. Games are, unfortunately, a very disposable medium and a combination of technological advances and a lack of interest or passion on behalf of publishers mean getting your hands on the best games of yesteryear via entirely legal or official means is next to impossible. As someone with a keen interest in gaming history, I use emulators a lot.
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